Outfit details: Sweater (xs) // Jeans (24) // Sneakers (went up half size) // Shell Necklace (size: penny) // Medallion Necklace // Shell Ring
Have you ever done the following in response to someone complimenting you?…
Put yourself down
Deflect and give someone else the credit
Assume the person didn’t actually mean it
Attribute it to luck
Change the subject
All of the above…yeah, same.
This skit with Amy Schumer could not be a more accurate depiction of what I’m talking about. Offer me a compliment and I’ll tell you all the reasons why I don’t deserve the praise. The problem with that is, when we are unable to accept nice things someone says about us, it’s damaging to our own confidence. But we must appear humble and modest right? Yes, this is true, but you can be humble and take a compliment.
When I offer someone a compliment and they immediately shoot it down it can actually be a bit of a buzzkill. For example, “Your hair looks great” met with a response like “Oh my god no, I look shit.” Most of us have been in this scenario. And despite knowing that I would rather the person just accept my compliment (and that I do not expect one in return), I find it hard to accept one myself. I might awkwardly laugh it off, give credit to someone else or make a self-deprecating joke. While I do think there’s always room for humor and we all need to be able to laugh at ourselves, we also need to be able to take a compliment.
When I started writing this post I did a little research and quickly realized it’s a hotly debated issue. Just google “how to take a compliment” and you’ll find hundreds of thousands of articles instructing you how to “graciously” accept a compliment “with class.” But is that really the point? So many of the articles I read perpetuated this idea that as women, we can’t really just accept a compliment at face value. Rather we should “compliment the complimenter,” “acknowledge your teams effort” or “smile a lot.”
Of course we should give credit where it’s due and yes it’s nice to return the favor when someone offers you a compliment but it’s not, nor should it be a requirement. Think of a compliment as a gift. If someone gave you a gift you wouldn’t turn it down, so why do that when you’re offered a compliment?
Studies have shown that receiving praise can boost motivation and improve your brain’s ability to remember and repeat new skills. So the next time someone compliments your success at work try saying “Thank you so much I worked really hard.” When a friend compliments your outfit or your hair maybe respond with “Thank you, you made my day.” Let the praise soak in, allow yourself to believe it, after all, it could actually be true.
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